The struggle is real. Working moms of small children not only have the arduous task of never-ending laundry piles and migraines but also the constant battle of juggling the work shift and the home shift. There are plenty of memes out there on working moms. How do they do it? Juggle a career and sustain a household at the same time? Some women are faced with the dilemma of securing their career and the responsibility of caring for a baby.

Moms also struggle with ‘mom guilt’; constantly torn between spending time with their kids or doing other important things. People cannot be split in two. The trick is to have a healthy life-work balance. Here are some tricks to survive motherhood with young children.

Start using your resources. Some moms like to be the martyr. Not intentionally, but they like to get stuff done. This means that some moms seem to be overworked and stressed all the time. In order to spend quality time with your children, ask for help around the house.

Maria Gesualdi, a working mom from Laval, provides moms with some tips to maintain balance in a hectic schedule. “Balancing work and family life can definitely be challenging. Often ‘mom guilt’ kicks in because we want to be supermoms and realize we can’t do it all,” says Gesualdi.“I often go with the flow of things but have come to realize that organizing my to do’s and prioritizing them helps me in getting things done. The things that can wait, wait…and saying no to things is okay too.”

Gesualdi says that while taking care of everything and everyone, it is important not to forget about taking care of yourself. She suggests going to a salon to get your hair done or to a spa for a relaxing massage to help relieve stress. Many moms say they want to get pampered but just don’t have the time. “I think it is important to find that time, as minimal as it may be, to pamper yourself once in a while. It will help you refocus, uplift your mood and more. Happy mom…happy family!”

In order to spend more quality time with your children and enjoy the weekend it’s important to make time for your kids to do some fun activities. Schedule time in for a walk or enjoy a movie night in. Build a tent with your kids, read a book, take a few moments to free play with them. Even moms who stay at home full-time do not necessarily spend quality time with their children. There is always something else to do such as the cleaning, cooking or errands to run.

Due to recent events regarding COVID-19, the current workspace is changing and adapting to working from home. Lots of companies are now allowing parents to work from home for the next year to limit exposure and spread of the virus. Working moms from home can sometimes feel worn out. The constant demands from their young children—from snacking to entertaining—joined with juggling work responsibilities in a full workday have made most working mothers feel overwhelmed and not successful both as a parent and an employee.

There are several ways to make this situation more efficient. First, set up a workstation in your home that can help you be more productive. Make it your workspace and keep the paperwork organized. Again, if you can delegate tasks in your workday, try to delegate some items to relieve your workload. Should your spouse work from home, set up a co-parenting schedule during work hours. For example, should your significant other want to do all their phone calls in the morning, set up a play table for kids with playdoh, markers, blocks or Legos to allow your kids to play quietly while you answer emails and your spouse gets to his phone calls.

Be flexible with your lunchtime schedule. Use that time to burn off some cooped-up energy with the kids. Bring them outdoors to play and run around, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Sunshine and fresh air can do wonders for both you and your kids, allowing you to take a mental break from work.

Finally, working from home with young children means that you can get a lot done during their nap time. Use this precious time wisely so you can get a lot done in a short time. Tackle strategic projects during this time or wake up earlier in the morning before the kids do in order to get one hour of undisturbed work in.

Children grow up quickly so make the most of their early childhood years. They will remember the quality time you spent with them.